Spring and frame supporter for motor-vehicles.



I. DOTTL.

SPRING AND FRAME SUPPORTER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18. 1911.

1,266,231. Patented M 14,19 8.

2 SHEE HEET l- 31402 nfoz Jive 0b 0019/,

I. DOTTL.

SPRING AND FRAME SUPPOBTER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION HLED APR. 18. 1917.

1,266,231. Patented May14,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

5314-02 Mfoz telnet JOSEPH DOITL, or person, memoirs.

srnnv G AND SUPPORTEB FOR MOTOB-VEHCLES.

Specification oi Letters Eatent.

Patented May it, 1%18.

Application filed April 18, 191i. Serial No. 162,884.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osmri DOTTL, a citizen of the United States, andresiding at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented anew and Improved Spring and Frame Supporter for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specificationi In my Patent No. 1,205,603, dated lilovember .21, 1916, I have shown auxiliary spring units whereby the ends of the rear bolster of a well known type ofvehicle are connected to 'points intermediate between the center and ends of an arched main spring which extends transversely across the rear of the vehicle substantially in the vertical plane through the axis of the axle; is found in practice that the construction shown tends to cause appreciable deflection at the points of connection of the units with the main spring. It iszalso found that the units shown in the preferred embodiment of said invention are occasionally disengaged from the spring clip as the vehicle passes over an unusually large obstruction in the road-way.

To the end of overcoming the objections above referred to, the present, invention consists in the provision of means for connecting the lower ends of the units to the main spring throughout a considerable portion of the length of the latter, thus distributing the load that comes down from the ends of the holster over several inches of the length of the spring and thereby avoiding any sharp deflection point. The invention also till consists in means co-acting with the extreme end portions of the main spring for preventing the lower ends, of the springs of the auxiliary units from slipping laterally lengthwise of the main spring. The invention also consists in means for preventing the springs of the auxiliary units from becoming displaced when one end of the colter is thrown upwardly. It further consists-in the details of construction shown, described and claimed.

f In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary rear elevation ofenough of the vehicle to indicate the application of a preferred embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section, partly ap elevation, corresponding to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the base member shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan viewot the member of which the lower ends of the auxiliary springs are directly received. Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section showing more fully the preferred construction of the means whereby the auxiliary springs are prevented fi'om becoming disengaged through bumping. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6,

showing a modification.

The wheels 1, axle housing 2, shackle supporting arms 3, shackles 4, main spring 5 (pivotally supported by said shackles) and the bolster 6, which is centrally connected to the main spring by means of the clips. 7 and center bolt 8, are all of wellknown construction. The main spring 1s,'of course, substantially vertically above the longitudinal axis of the axle and axle housing. It will be understood that the lower leaf of the main spring is looped around the bolt 9, whereby said spring is connected to the shackles 4. One of the upper leaves of the main spring is looped back upon itself as indicated at 10 (Fig. 2) and as in the usual construction, receives a bolt 11 that passes through the upper ends of the spring clip 12 whereby the outer ends of the leaves are held in proper alinement with one another.

The bolster is of substantially U shape in cross section and opens downwardly, thus forming a channel into which an extension arm 15 (Fig. 6) is inserted, said arm including the flanges 16 which fit closely against the inner surfaces of the flanges of the bolster. Bolts 18 hold the arms in position. At points outwardly on the ends of the bolster, these arms merge into a cup shaped housing 20 for the upper ends of the compression springs 21, the axes of which are substantially vertical. At their upper ends the housings 20 form fi'nsto-conica-l portions 22 the upper faces of which are perforated to allow the-passage of bolts 23 that terminate'within the housin in the conical heads 24:. The upper ends or the springs 21 are tapered to correspond to the taper of the upper portions of the housings and are re .tained snugly in position when the nuts 25 h ll former may he provided With a notchecl rib f the Web oi the latter:

At its base the spring 21 is preferab y intor-engaged with threads 28 formed on the shank 29 of a spring can, Which includes the annular flange 3Q is perforated transversely at 3 to receive a cross bolt 32, Whereloy saicl cap is securecl in position between the upwardly eztenfling ears 83 on the chair so. The lower face or the cop may be cnrvecl substantiall cylinclrically at and the upper face of the chair 34 may have a corresponding socket 36 against which the cap rests clirectl it being understood that sulficient play may he left between the bolt 32 and the Wells oi" the perforation 31 to allow the proper pivoted seating action and to relieve the bolt irom hollowed at its lower ceive te portion 9 of ho spring; it is also shapecl to conform to the slope of the several leeves, whereby a contact is insurecl between it and the latter for a consiilersble distance lengthwise of he niain spring. As shown, the chair is provided on its upper surface with longitudinal reinf and with perforated eers 41-2-43 arranged in pairs on opposite sides the bolt The surface at 88 to re chair also ententls down near to the pivot bolt 9 ancl is provides WllLll a log 45 that entends clowhwerfly along the face oi the soring, then Wsrrlly st &5 and finally lengthwise tllfi soring at 16 to engage with the inner lace oi the loop heretofore referred to as losing a the lower leer", The portion lt; night, however, engage the shaclil -5l and bolts 52-53 clamp the 54 to the upper surface of the s rine". llngsgenient oi the chair with the coal or the spring or with the shsckle, es the case may be, gar-events the-torraer from slipping longituilinelly he latter; the en gegement the member ll) with the Well the groove 3% also-tends to serve the purpose. 1

in the embodimentshown in Fin. l, cop 29-30 is replaced by a cap 50 that clii leis "former sobstentially only in that the threads 28 ere omitted and the shank is internally threoolerl to receive lower enfi bolt 6i. on the flange 30 is a compression spring 62 the upper end of "which is confined in the housing '53 termed. as a part the extension arm o l. The n per well 65 of the housing merges into the (311:) E8 hottom oi. which is perforaterl allow passage of the bolt ill; enzl hin the is a spring 69, preferably of s l i es strength than the spring 6%, that is he rl m hy t not W.

lt is clear changes may be mails ls of constrnction without clcioartor the invention, for er;-

insy nioontscl the The chair 3% is I orcecl ribs l9 and il.

front ezle as well as on the rear axle housing, and 1 do not, therefore, Wish to be limited otherwise thah as inclicatecl by the sub joined. claims which the term axle construction is llllZE-Dtlfiil to designate either the axle housing or the axle itself.

l. A root vehicle comprising an axle construction, holster extending longitudinally of ancl substantially above the axle construction, means for transmitting loads from saicl holster to said axle construction, said. means including a main spring centrally secured to the bolster and terminally connectetl to the axle construction, and means for transmitting loads from the ends or the bolster downwardly to the main spring, saicl means including resilient members connected their upper encls to the corresponding end portion oi the bolster, together with means for supporting lower ends of the resilient members on the main spring and distributingthe loeol a considerable distance along length sairl main spring, Wl1l6- by sharp deflection points in the latter are ovoi-clerl,

.2. motor vehicle comprising an axle construction, a bolster extending longitudinally of anti substantially above the axle construction, means for transmitting loads from saicl bolster to saicl axle construction, saicl ineens a main spring centrally secured to the bolster and terminally connected to the axle construction, and means for transmitting loads from the encls of e holster downwardly to the main spring, said lnclorlihgresilient members connectecl their upper enils to the correspending enel nortion of the bolster, together with means for supporting the lower ends of the resilient embers on the main spring, seitl last mentioneo means comprising caps the lower of the resilient members encl chairs pivotally connected to said caps,

soicl chairs eztendino alone the n oer sur- 0 n 1 a :3 a i. q i'eces the spring and. being adapted to loads thereto for aconsiderable toget cl Whi'l means for supporting the loner entls o; e resilient inemhers'on the main s so cl lost mentioned moons cornones of resili the esle construction, and

ent members and chairs pivotally connected to said caps, said chairs extending along the upper surfaces of the main spring and being adapted to transmit loads thereto for a considerable distance alongr the latter, means for securing the chair in position on the spring on opposite sides of the points at which the chairs are pivotally connected to the caps.

4. A vehicle comprising an axle construction, an arched spring extending longitudinally thereof, a bolster centrally secured to said spring, said spring being capable of transmitting from its point of connection with the'bolster to its ends substantially all tendency of the bolster to move longitudinally of the spring, and means for trans" mitting loads from each end portion of the bolster to corresponding portions of the spring between the center and the ends thereof, said portions being of considerable length longitudinally of the spring, whereby sharp deflection points are avoided.

5. A vehicle comprising an axle construction, an arched spring extending longitudinally thereof, a bolster centrally secured rigidly to said spring, and resilient means for transmitting stresses from and to the end portions of said bolster to points intermediate between the center and ends of said spring, said means including a single coiled spring at each end of said bolster, connections between the upper ends of said coiled &

springs and the bolster, whereby both tension and compression stresses are transmitted thereto, and connections between the lower ends of said coiled springs and the arched spring whereby both tension and compression stresses are transmitted thereto.

6. A vehiclecomprising an axle construction, an arched spring extending longitudinally thereof, a bolster centrally secured rigidly to said spring, and coiled springs for transmitting stresses from the end portions of the bolster to points intermediate between the center and ends of said spring, caps for the lower ends of said coiled springs, and

means extending substantially to the ends of" the bolster, and bolts having heads received within said tapered ends and passing through said housing, whereby said springs are connected to said bolster to receive both compression and tension stresses.

' JOSEPH DOTTL. 

